Upstate News

May 22, 2010
Doretta Royer 315 464-4833

Upstate graduates largest class in half century

Upstate Medical University President David R. Smith, M.D., conferred 423 degrees to graduates of the university’s colleges of Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, and Nursing at SUNY Upstate’s 176th Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 22, at 4 p.m. at the Oncenter Complex, 800 South State St., Syracuse.

The 2010 graduating class ever is the largest ever for Upstate, since joining the SUNY system in 1950.

The College of Medicine conferred 146 degrees. The College of Health Professions awarded 154 degrees, including 66 bachelor’s degrees, five master’s degrees, 10 bachelor of professional studies degrees and 73 doctoral degrees in physical therapy. The College of Graduate Studies awarded 30 degrees, including six master’s degrees and 24 doctoral degrees. The colleges of Medicine and Graduate Studies conferred six combined MD/PhD degrees. The College of Nursing awarded 87 degrees, including 42 bachelor’s degrees and 45 master’s degrees. In addition, the college will award eight registered nurse first assistant (RNFA) certificates and 14 post-masters certificates.

Former U.S. Rep. James Walsh, who last year retired from a 20-year career in Congress, addressed graduates and received a honorary doctorate from the State University of New York.

Walsh, who represented New York’s 25th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 2009, made significant contributions to the scientific community at Upstate and to Central New York. His efforts led to a $1 million allocation for the purchase and outfitting of an X-ray diffraction laboratory in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Under his leadership, more than $1 million has been awarded to the Department of Emergency Medicine to establish a Center for Emergency Preparedness. Much of the center’s attention has been focused on the alternate Emergency Department being created at the State Fairgrounds, but the allocation also allowed the Upstate team to expand on their traditional EMS and first-responder training activities in a new facility on campus. Other projects that have gained from the appropriations process are the Institute for Cardiovascular Research, the Gait Laboratory at the Institute for Human Performance and the Central New York Biotechnology Research Center.